Bathlift



J. E. NOLAN Nov. 22, 1966 BATHLIFT Z5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 23,1964 INVENTOR.

JOHN E. NOEAN.

BY ATTORNEY 7 n W. K

J. E. NOLAN Nov. 22, 1966 BATHLIFT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 23, 1964ATTORNEY Nov. 22, 1966 J. E. NOLAN 3,286,970

BATHLIFT Filed March 23, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.6

Fig.8

INVENTOR. J 0 HN E. N OLA N BY g ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,286,970BATI-ILIFT John E. Nolan, Jetfersontown, Ky., assignor to AmericanRadiator & Standard Sanitary Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporationof Delaware Filed Mar. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 353,839 4 Claims. (Cl.248-404) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in alifting or hoisting apparatus and more particularly to a fluid actuateddevice for lifting a person in and out of a bathtub or the like. Thedevice may be used for lowering and raising handicapped or elderlypeople either unassisted or assisted by an attendant as they enter andleave a bathtub.

Due to physical disabilities of various types, it is often difiicult orimpossible for handicapped people to enter and leave a bathtub or other.similar facilities unaided. Accordingly, it is an object of thisinvention to provide a lifting device which is of simple and sturdyconstruction and which may be operated from a domestic water supply andbe controlled by either the user or by an attendant.

Another object is to provide a lifting and lowering device which may beeasily and readily placed in and removed from conventional bathtubs,which is portable and of light weight construction, and which may bemanufactured at a relatively low cost.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear as thedescription of the particular physical embodiments selected toillustrate the invention progresses.

For a better understanding of the present invention reference should behad to the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals or referenceindicate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a bathlift device constructedaccording to the present invention with a seat member and backrestmember being shown in broken lines.

FIGURE 2 is a view in vertical section on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view in section on an enlarged scale taken on the line 33of FIGURE 2. 1

FIGURE 4 is a detailed perspective view showing an operating leverconnected to the tubular valve member extension.

FIGURE 5 is a detailed view partly in section of the control valve.

FIGURE 6 is a detailed view of the control valve taken on the line 66 ofFIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a detailed enlarged view on the line 77 of FIG. 2.

FIGURE 8 is a detail in section on the line 88 of FIGURE 7.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited in its application to thedetails of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, since the invention is capable ofother-embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways.Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employedis for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, the numeral 1indicates the bottom wall of a bathtub or the like which supports on itsinner surface the base structure 2 of the bathlift device. The basestructure 2 comprises a platform 3 extending front to rear andhorizontally and which is rigidly connected at its ends to transversesupporting tubes or bars 4. Each of the bars 4 may receive at each end asuction cup member 5 having a finger grip knob 6 by which an edgeportion of the cup member may be lifted to break the suction or vacuum.Adjacent the rear portion of the platform 3 is an upward extendingvertical post 7 (FIG. 2) which may be rigidly secured to the platform 3such as by the welding bead 7a.

Supported on the post 7 is the supporting and piston member 8 of thehydraulic apparatus. The supporting member 8 may be made of a metal suchas aluminum or stainless steel and has at its lower end a bearing blockmember 9 which may be made of plastic and which is secured in the pistonmember 8 such as by the press fit at 10. The piston member 8, which maybe hollow and rectangular in cross section, seats at its lower end on aflange or lip 11 of the block member 9. The upper end of the post 7 maybe of reduced diameter to provide a shoulder adjacent the annularshoulder 12 of the post 7. The block member 9 may also have a transverseretaining pin 13 which locks in a circumferential groove 14 in the post7 to prevent removal of the supporting member 8 from the post 7. Theunder surface of the block member 9 seats on a bearing pad 15 carried onthe platform 3.

At its upper end, the member 8 carries a piston block 16 which has alower portion or skirt 17 which fits within the member 8. A transverserod member or means 18 extends through the skirt 17 and the side wallsof the member 8 to hold block member 16 on the supporting member 8. Theends of the rod 18 extend outwardly beyond the flat side walls of thesupporting member 8 to serve as stop means as will be further described.The upper portion of the block member 16 is cylindrical and has athreaded portion 19 which receives a threaded clamping ring 20 whichclamps a sealing or piston washer 21 in position to seal the clearancespace between the block member 16 and the interior wall of thereciprocal lifting or hoisting cylinder 22. The cylinder 22 andblockmember 16 may be made of a plastic material while the cup or washer21 may be made of a resilient material such as rubber or neoprene.

At the upper end of the supporting member 8 adjacent the skirt 17 of thepiston block 16, there is provided a bearing block 23 which is' recessedrectangularly as at 24 to fit around the upper portion of the supportingmember 8 and which is secured in place by fastening member 25 threadedlyengaging the skirt 17. The bearing block 23 has a curved or arcuate wall26 which conforms to the inner wall surface of the reciprocal cylinder22. Positioned between the arcuate wall 26 and the cylinder 22 is abearing means which may comprise a bearing material 27, such as Teflon,Celcon, or a similar synthetic material in sheet form and a support orbacking 28 for the bearing material 27. The backing 28 may be aperforated sheet of metal with the bearing material 27 being adheredthereto by pressure which causes the material to enter the perforationsof the metal backing 28. The bearing material 27 and backing 28 has itsends wrapped around the block 23 as at 29 to secure the bearing means tothe block 23.

Secured within the cylinder 22 at its lower end is a cylinder block 30which has flat side wall exterior portions to provide clearance spacesas at 31 and 32. The remainder of the exterior surface portions of thecylinder block 30 are curved or arcuate so as to correspond to theinterior wall surface of the cylinder 22.

The cylinder block 30 has a rectangular aperture therethrough conformingto the cross-section of the member 8 but with sufficient clearance sothat at the front of the lift device, that is the side opposite thebearing block 23, there is interposed a bearing means 33 which may besimilar to the bearing means, above described, that is, it comprises aTeflon or the like synthetic material adhered to a metallic backingmember. The bearing member 33 is secured in position to the cylinder 22by screws or the like 34.

Seat supporting brackets or bar members 35, 36, which may be made oftubular material such as stainless steel or aluminum, may be providedwith fiat end portions 37 to receive and to which are secured a seatmember 38 shown in broken lines in FIG. 1. The bracket members 35, 36are curved in vertical plane so that they bend or turn upwardly, andthese upwardly turned end portions 39 extend into the clearance spaces31 and 32 respectively. The upward extending arm portions I 39 may beflattened and rigidly secured to the inside Wall surface of the cylinder22 by rivets or screws 40. These upward extending portions 39 also serveas stop members for engagement with the end portions of the rod member18 which, as above described, extends above the clearance spaces 31, 32in overlying relation to the end portions 39 and in their path ofmovement, thereby to limit the upward movement of the cylinder 22 on itssupporting member 8.

The member 22 also supports a back rest member 41 which is carried by abracket member 42 secured in positionby a strap member 43 whichsurrounds the cylinder member 22. The strap member 43 clamps the backrest bracket member 42 in vertically adjustable position to the outsidesurface of the cylinder 22.

The upper end of the reciprocal cylinder 22 is closed by an end wallmember or head 44 which is secured in place such as by cementor thelike. This head 44 has internal lug or stop members 45 which engage thepiston member 16 to limit downward movement of the reciprocal cylinder22. The head 44 cooperates with the piston block 116 and the cylinder 22to define a power means or pressure chamber 46. The head 44 has a fluidinlet passageway 47 for admission of fluid to the pressure chamber 46.Carried by the head 55 is a control valve 48 (FIGS. 1 and having a bodymember 49 which is internally cylindrical and opens at its oppositeends. The body member 49 has two internal annular recesses 50 and 51.The recess 50 is in communication with a conduit 52 in a nipple 53 whichis screw threaded into the inlet opening 47 of the head 44. The recess51 communicates with an inlet passageway 54 in an inlet nipple 55 whichis connected to a source of fluid under pressure by a flexible'hose orconduit 56 (FIG. 1). The conduit 56 may be connected to the water outletof a bathtub in which the bathlift device operates.

There is a hollow tubular valve member 57 within the body member 49 andwhich has a hand grip member or knob 58 secured to its upper endpositioned externally of the valve. When the valve member 57 is in itsdown or seat lowering position as shown in FIG. 5, there is a port 59through its side wall which is in registry with the annular recess 50 sothat the conduit 52 is in communication with the hollow interior 60 ofthe valve member 57. The valve member 57 is provided above and below theport 59 with annular recesses in which are positioned sealing rings 61and 62 respectively which may be in the form of 0 rings made from asuitable resilient material. The valve member 57 has an elongatedexternal cylindrical annular recess 63 below the' 'body member 49 tolimit upward movement of the valve member 57. The bottom or outlet endof the member 65 is vertically slotted as at 67, see FIG. 4, to receivea V lever operating member .68 to which it is pivoted by a pin 69. Thelever 68 is fulcrumed on a pivot pin"70 which is carried by a bracketmember 71 secured to the outside surface of the reciprocal cylinder 22.The bracket 71 also has a horizontal flange 72 which is provided with anaperture for slidab'ly receiving and supporting the valve outletextension 65. When the valve member 57 is lifted from the position shownin FIG. 5, the stop ring 66 will engagethe bottom end of the valve bodymember 49 and the annular space 63 will serve to communicate the inlet54 to the conduit 52.

In operation, the bathlift device which is portable ,is placed within abathtub or bath and the suction or vacuum cups 5 are pressed downward toadhere the device and the base structure 2 to the bottom wall 1 of thetub.

The flexible hose or conduit 56 may have its free end connected to thedomestic water supply for the bathtub or to any other source of fluidsupply. The valve member is lifted manually either by the control knob58 or operating member 68 until the stop member or ring 66 limits suchlifting movement by engagement with the valve body member 49. Thislifting movement positions the annular space 63 to provide communicationbetween the water inlet 54 and the conduit 52 so that the fluid supplyflows through the valve and into the working pres.- sure cylinder 46.Water under pressure entering .the working pressure chamber 46 willcause the reciprocal cylinder 22 to move upward on its supporting member8 thereby raising the seat member 38 to any desired ele-.

vated position, but preferably to a position which is above the rim ofthe tub. If the operator, or user fails to turn off the fluid supply,the reciprocal cylinder. 22 will be limited in its upward movement byengagement of-the arm portions 39 with the ends of the cross rod 18.

The apparatus may be designed such that it is not necessary to turn offthe fluid supply to limit upward movement of the reciprocal cylinder 22but the latter may be permitted to lift until the arm portions 39 stopits upward move-.

ment when the seat member 38 is above the level of the tub rim. The seatmember 38 and reciprocal cylinder 22 may now be swiveled or rotated onthe supporting post 7 to move the seat member outward over the rim ofthe tub. A patient or person desiring to bathe or be bathed nowpositions himself on the seat and maybe rotated laterally to a positionoverlying the inside of the tub or the tub recess. The attendant, ifthere is one, may then move the hand knob 58 downward as far as itwillgo which positions the annular chamber 50 and the port 59 in registrywith the conduit 52 thus communicating the pressure chamber 46 to theoutlet conduit 65 which discharges the fluid in the pressure chamber46.downward through'the tubular extension 65 into the tub. If there isno attendant or if the person desiring to be bathed or to bathe wishesto lower himself, he may conveniently grasp the hand grip lever member68 and move it downward-1y so that such movement will act through thevalve member extension 65 to move the valve member 49 downward to theposition of FIG. 5 for liquid discharge from the pressure chamber 46 asabove described. The Weight of the person on the seat member 38 willcause the cylinder or reciprocal cylinder 22 to move downward with thebearing material 33 sliding on the front face of the piston member 8 andwith the bearing material 27 sliding on the inside surface of thecylinder. In this regard it will be noted that, the piston member 8 isrearwardly inclined relative to the general plane of the base 2 so thatthe applied forces between the piston member 8 and cylinder 22 will tendto be concentrated at the upper rear and lower front of the pistonmember 8 as indicated by the location of the bearing materials 27 and33.

When the patient has bathed or been bathed, the tubular extension 65 maybe lifted either by an attendant lifting the knob 58 or by the patientoperating the operating member 68. This upward movement will positionthe annular recess 63 in communication with the inlet 54 and with theconduit 52 so that fluid from the source of supply feeding through theconduit 56 will discharge into the pressure chamber 46 thereby liftingthe reciprocal cylinder 22 and its attached seat member 38 and theperson resting thereon. When the arm portions 39 engage the ends of therod 18, the upward movement will be stopped and the seat may be swiveledoutward over the tub rim and the patient thereon may be removed or maymove himself off the seat member.

Various modifications may be made to provide comfort and safety for theuser and to increase the versatility of the bathlift device. Forexample, means may be provided on the device to hold seat straps andchest straps, and a folding arm rest may be provided to assist the userin standing up or sitting down. The control which is actuated by thepatient may be located in other positions such as to the front of theseat and interchangeably to the right or left thereof. Provision may bemade to slip the seat, back, and cylinder assembly off of the post foreasy removal from the tub and so that the base assembly may be placed inthe tub separately. A foldable seat and backrest may be provided foreasy storage and packaging. A positive right or left side position lockwith a simple release handle may be provided and also a lever operatedquick hose connection. In addition the control valve may be operated tohold the seat at an intermediate position.

From the above description it will be seen that the bathlift device ofthe present invention may be conveniently operated by the control valveadjacent the upper part of the cylinder or by the operating leveradjacent the rear of the seat. The device may be made from lightweightmaterials such as plastic, aluminum, or tubular or light gauge stainlesssteel resulting in a lightweight unit to facilitate its portability.Domestic water supply may be used to operate the device so that whenused in a bathtub, no separate external source of power is required.

The invention herein above described may be varied in constructionwithin the scope of the claims, for the particular device selected toillustrate the invention is but one of many possible embodiments of thesame. The invention therefore is not to be restricted to the precisedetails of the structure shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a bathlift device, a base structure constructed and arranged toseat on the bottom inside wall of a tub, a supporting member extendingfrom said structure, means for swiveling said member on said structure,a reciprocal member mounted on and surrounding and movable up and downon said supporting member, a seat member supported by and extendinglaterally from said reciprocal member, said reciprocal member having anend wall at its upper end, a piston head member on the upper end of saidsupporting member and fitting within said reciprocal member, valve meanshaving a body member carried by said reciprocal member adjacent itsupper end and having an inlet for connection to a source of fluid underpressure, a conduit connecting the interior of said body member to theinterior of said reciprocal member adjacent said end wall, a tubularvalve member reciprocal in said body member, said body member and saidsaid'valve member being so constructed and arranged that in one positionof said valve member a clearance is provided between said body memberand said valve member, said clearance providing communication betweensaid inlet and said conduit and in another position said conduitcommunicates with the interior of said tubular valve member, saidinterior being an outlet passage in said valve member, means at theupper end of said body member and connected to said valve member toactuate the same, and means adjacent said seat member and connected tosaid valve member below said body member and operable to actuate saidvalve member.

2. The invention as defined by claim 1, and segmental bearing elementsinterposed between said supporting member and reciprocal member tostabilize the operation thereof, there being side clearance spacebetween said supporting and reciprocal members afforded by the spacingof said bearing elements, a cross member on said supporting memberhaving ends projecting into the clearance spaces, and said seat memberincluding a pair of upturned bars which project into the clearancespaces through the lower end of the reciprocal member, said barsabutting the ends of said cross member to limit elevating of thereciprocal member on the supporting member during the operating of saiddevice.

3. The invention as defined by claim 1, and wherein said supportingmember is rectangular in cross section and said reciprocal member iscylindrical in cross section, a cross rod extending transversely throughthe supporting member near the upper end thereof and beyond oppositesides of the cross member and serving to attach said piston head memberto the supporting member and having its ends terminating within the boreof the reciprocal member, said seat member including spaced generallyupright bars which project through the lower end of the reciprocalmember on opposite sides of the supporting member, said upright barshaving their top ends substantially in alignment with the ends of saidcross rod and adapted to abut the latter to positively limit the upwardtravel of the reciprocal member on the supporting member.

4. In a bathlift device, a base structure constructed and arranged toseat on the bottom inside wall of a tub, a supporting member extendingfrom said structure, means for swiveling said member on said structure,a reciprocal member mounted on and surrounding and movable up and downon said supporting member, a seat member supported by and extendinglaterally from said reciprocal member, said reciprocal member having anend wall at its upper end, a piston head member on the upper end of saidsupporting member and fitting within said reciprocal member, valve meanshaving a body member carried by said reciprocal member adjacent itsupper end and having an inlet for connection to a source of fluid underpressure, a conduit connecting the interior of said body member to theinterior of said reciprocal member adjacent said end wall, a tubularvalve member reciprocal in said body member, said body member and saidvalve member being so constructed and arranged that in one position ofsaid valve member said inlet communicates with said conduit and inanother position said conduit communicates with the interior of saidtubular valve member, said interior being an outlet passage in saidvalve member, a hand grip knob at the upper end of said body member andconnected to said valve member to actuate the same, said tubular valvemember having a tubular extension portion extending downward adjacent toand at the rear of said seat member, a bracket member on said reciprocalmember and slidably supporting said tubular extension, and a leverpivoted to said bracket member and to said tubular extension andoperable to move said valve member.

(References on following page)

1. IN A BATHLIFT DEVICE, A BASE STRUCTURE CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TOSEAT ON THE BOTTOM INSIDE WALL OF A TUB, A SUPPORTING MEMBER EXTENDINGFROM SAID STRUCTURE, MEANS FOR SWIVELING SAID MEMBER ON SAID STRUCTURE,A RECIPROCAL MEMBER MOUNTED ON AND SURROUNDING AND MOVABLE UP AN DOWN ONSAID SUPPORTING MEMBER, A SEAT MEMBER SUPPORTED BY AND EXTENDINGLATERALLY FROM SAID RECIPROCAL MEMBER, SAID RECIPROCAL MEMBER HAVING ANEND WALL AT ITS UPPER END, A PISTON HEAD MEMBER ON THE UPPER END OF SAIDSUPPORTING MEMBER AND FITTING WITHIN SAID RECIPROCAL MEMBER, VALVE MEANSHAVING A BODY MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID RECIPROCAL MEMBER ADJACENT ITSUPPER END AND HAVING AN INLET FOR CONNECTION TO A SOURCE OF FLUID UNDERPRESSURE, A CONDUIT CONNECTING THE INTERIOR OF SAID BODY MEMBER TO THEINTERIOR OF SAID RECIPROCAL MEMBER ADJACENT SAID END WALL, A TUBULARVALVE MEMBER RECIPROCEL IN SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID BODY MEMBER AND SAIDVALVE MEMBER BEING SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED THAT IN ONE PORTION OFSAID VALVE MEMBER A CLEARANCE IS PROVIDED BETWEEN SAID BODY MEMBER ANDSAID VALVE MEMBER, SAID CLEARANCE PROVIDING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAIDINLET AND SAID CONDUIT AND IN ANOTHER POSITION SAID CONDUIT COMMUNICATESWITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID TUBULAR VALVE MEMBER, SAID INTERIOR BEING ANOUTLET PASSAGE IN SAID VALVE MEMBER, MEANS AT THE UPPER END OF SAID BODYMEMBER AND CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE MEMBER TO ACTUATE THE SAME, AND MEANSADJACENT SAID SEAT MEMBER AND CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE MEMBER BELOW SAIDBODY MEMBER AND OPERABLE TO ACTUATE SAID VALVE MEMBER.